National Treasure Accounts
by gothamnightwitch
Summary: Esther Livingston has talent, skill, and secrets. She's part of the elite organization known as the Knights Templar Society. She also has the ability to speak with the dead and look into the past in her dreams. Now Esther has to deal with her past while helping Ben Gates hunt for the treasure. Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure.
1. Prologue

"Esther, it's not safe anymore. They'll be looking for you after that incident you had with-"

"Alex, I'll be fine. They can't touch me, remember?"

"But-"

"No buts. I'm glad I got to see you again. That's what counts."

"THERE THEY ARE!"

"Run!"

We ran as fast as we could from the men carrying torches and guns. I spit at one of the soldier's shoes, even though I'm a girl. Alex tripped and fell to the ground. New York City wasn't safe, not since the city was taken away. I hated the fact that I was wearing a skirt.

"Go!"

"Not without you!"

I turned back and took off the skirt, revealing the knee-high pants I wore underneath. I drew my sword and lunged at one of the soldiers.

"This is an outrage! A girl shall not, cannot fight like a man!"

"Yeah, um, about that, a girl has a right to defend herself, so shut up!"

"This is ludicrous!"

"Oh, will you just let this boil over!?"

I hit his head with the gilded hilt, rendering him unconscious. I turned to Alex.

"Get out of here! I will deal with them!"

"Esther-"

"NOW!"

He got up on his feet and ran to the nearest house. I looked around to notice at least 6 more soldiers come up to me with swords. They didn't stand a chance against me, even though I'm 12 years old. Beaver hats and red wool coats were not meant for small fights in the streets. I easily slashed at the coats and shredded the hats. The men were appalled by my actions.

"Patriots! They're training children now!"

"Actually, no. Americans trained me since you Brits are kicked out of here in a few years."

"Absurd! This is our land!"

"A land which you have deprived from the people that make your nation! You have taken away the rights granted to them from the laws of England! You have taxed them without their voice or say in the matter! This is not your land! This is the colonists land! And you can't take it away!"

I was at the top of my lungs and 10 more Tories came my way. I was blocked. The only issue with being in New York City is that Tories were everywhere. Brits are nice, just not in the 18th century when they take away things from my ancestors.

Robert had already helped draft and issue the Declaration. But of course, he couldn't get to Philadelphia to sign the piece he assisted in making. I didn't get to have the chance to meet him. No, I had to start off in Massachusetts ports. I happened to run into Alex one day as I eventually followed him to the city. I was still looking like a boy at the time. I saw the largest construction ever made. It was practically a gigantic well. I was helping out with bringing in crates to the room under the chapel. All I could see was gold. A circular pendant the size of my hand was resting on a pedestal. I went to pick it up and hold it. I had seen it so many times in public and in the Society. But never so solid and old. And there I was, running away for my life again from the British.

"Surrender! Swear that you are British and loyal to the king!"

"Mmm… Nope! My loyalties lie with God, Knights Templar, and the President of the United States of America!"

"You lie!"

I placed my right hand on my heart: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

A sword was coming my way and I leapt up to grasp a printer shop sign. The Red Coats were stunned at the sight. I smiled and swung onto the roof.

"Trust me. You will not have me swear to some high-up man that's thousands of miles away from here. Buh-bye."

I made a run for it, jumping from roof to roof. Hoof beats grew louder and louder.

They don't know when to give up, do they?

A carriage was in front of me and I quickly hid inside it.

"A little too close, don't you think?"

"Alex! You gave me a heart attack!"

"How could I, Esther? You are still breathing and talking to me."

I chuckled. We walked to a part of the natural harbor where the British didn't guard. We sat on the large stone boulder together, holding hands. I took in a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the Hudson. The sky was beautiful at dawn.

"I wrote you another letter."

"Will you leave it in the box?"

"Of course I will. And you will return to read it?"

The sun was starting to come up. I knew I had to leave.

"Yes. Please be here again."

He smiled and kissed me. I ran to the docks and began rowing out of the harbor, vowing to return again in due time.

/

/

/

What I didn't know was that I wouldn't return for a very long time.


	2. Chapter 1

4 years later...

/

"Hey! John! Wake up!"

I turned over a little, putting my face in the cold ground. I finally agreed to wake up to the new day in the Arctic Circle. Everyone knew me as John Hart. But my name is really Esther Livingston. My family holds strong ties to the American Revolution and a little to Knights Templar.

I got up and went to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror. I still had the wig on from the other day and wore make-up. I was really "under cover" since someone in the group wanted me for their personal gain. Or dead. It didn't matter. I fixed up my wig and brushed my teeth. I walked out to grab my bag. I was alone in the room so I loaded myself with 2 swords (easily concealed), a sheathed knife at my ankle, a basic miniature survival kit, a flare, a notebook, rope, hair pins, and matches. Someone knocked on my door.

"Come in!" I answered with my deeper voice.

A blonde man in a white parka entered with 2 others. I put on my best smile. I really didn't want to see him, but I had to if I was to keep my mission from being compromised.

"John! You're awake! How was it?"

"The sleep was okay. Could do without the alarm knocking on the door, Ian."

"Oh come now. Shaw's just being considerate."

"I understand that."

"Good! Let's get going! We're in a hurry to find that treasure."

"You got it."

Now you're wondering why I wasn't too fond of seeing Ian. You see, he and I have a history. One that goes back to my earlier days at Knights Templar. He came up to me one day and asked for my assistance. He would pay me a VERY large sum of money for my help. So, I stole things for him. Most of it was documents. I didn't question papers being stolen. But when he asked me to rob a museum, I had it. I left, but he found me in my home, asleep and my mom answering the door. My family and I were relocated ASAP. Since then, I hadn't seen Alex. Or at least, since 2 years ago.

"Hey, John. You okay?"

"What? Yeah! I'm fine, Ben. Just fine."

Ben Gates was a popular subject starting 2 years ago. His family was given a crucial part of finding the Knights Templar treasure in 1832. Everyone in the Society knows the story of how Charles Carroll gave Thomas Gates the clue to finding the treasure. And the secret had been passed down in the family since. KTS kept a close eye on the family for the past century and a half and guess who got assigned to keep a closer eye? I stayed as attached as I could to him, like unnoticed glue. And I already made up my mind as soon as Teacher told me my assignment. I only wanted Ben to find the treasure. Ian didn't deserve even a penny of it.

"You're looking a little distant. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Ben. 100% sure I'm fine. Let's find Charlotte."

The Charlotte was a ship in the 1700s that was lost at sea. It turned up in the Arctic Circle and was preserved in ice. I knew all of this because I was there. I know almost every historical detail about American history. I even corrected my history teachers in class.

"We getting closer?" Ian asked.

"Assuming Ben's theory is correct and my tracking model's accurate, we should be getting very close. Don't go by me: I broke a shoelace this morning."

We turned our heads to Riley and held an awkward silence.

"It-it's a bad omen."

"Should we turn around and go home?"

"Or we could pull over and just throw him out."

I had to laugh at Ben's idea. The good news was that I still sounded like a teenage boy. The bad news was that we were getting closer. I could tell that we weren't too far from the sound of the beeping from Riley's computer. It took a while to find the ship after we stopped and walked around with metal detectors. That is, until Ben found the bell that said:

**Boston Massacre**

**Charlotte**

I was flipping out on the inside. We walked into the ship's lodging where the frozen bodies of the crew were lying in the hammocks. Riley pulled one of the blankets up and freaked out at the sight of the corpse. I was only somber at the fact that these men never came home. Ben opened the door to the cargo hold. One of the barrels of gunpowder had the clue they needed to find the next one. Ben wandered to where the captain was and I knew he found the clue.

"I found something!"

We gathered by him. He unwrapped the cloth from the box and opened it to find the pipe depicting a piece of my history, the Society's history.

"Do you guys know what this is?"

"Is it a billion dollar pipe?"

"It's a Meerschaum pipe."

And those kinds of pipes are not cheap, especially those dating back to pre-Revolutionary days. Teacher had me return a few to a museum after some idiot intercepted a delivery truck. The guy didn't know what was coming, which is how we KTS members like it.

I remember being told the story of the treasure when I joined the Society. It's based off of the original Knights Templar, unlike the Freemasons. But I had power over both, considering my title. When you graduate the school (end of 5th grade), you receive a title that tells of who you are and your importance and so on. Mine is Bellator Eget Christi, or Christ's Warrior. Basically, I'm so good that even Jesus would trust me to be his bodyguard. It's a joke and the highest honor in the Society. Once in a hundred years someone is given that title. And now I'm the most wanted person on the planet, by fans and enemies.

"We're one step closer to the treasure, gentlemen."

"Ben, I thought you said the treasure would be on the Charlotte."

_Uh, no. The Founding Fathers weren't that stupid._

"No, the secret lies with Charlotte. I said it could be here."

Ben pressed the tip of his knife into his thumb and rubbed the blood onto the handle. He rolled the tube in a journal. He noted that there were Templar symbols, but there was another riddle to be solved to find the next clue:

**The legend writ**

**The stain affected**

**The key in Silence undetected**

**Fifty-five in iron pen**

**Mr. Matlack can't offend**

I knew the answer to it. It was one of those things you learned in Knights Templar, symbols and mixing history together. Ben went off to think he talked out his thoughts of what the riddle could mean. He started talking about an invisible map and how it was hidden. And then where the map could be. Shaw commented on prison. No, the map would never be put into a prison where con artists could get it and use for themselves.

"Why say iron pen?"

Iron was firm, adamant, and resolved. Ben reached out into American history, acknowledging who Mr. Matlack was, and that lead to the Declaration of Independence. I knew Ian was going to use unconventional methods of getting the document the moment Ben figured it out. You couldn't just walk in and say, "Hi! I'm on a treasure hunt and the map just so happens to be on the back of the Declaration of Independence; can I have a look at it?"

Guess my cover's blown the moment Ian says he's going to steal it.

"We could borrow it."

The treasure seemed more important than our nation's history. No way would I let Ian get the document and destroy it in the process.

"I've arranged some operations of some… questionable legality."

"I happen to know a few of those, Ian," I mentioned.

"Excuse me, but how could you know, John?"

"Ben, don't listen to Ian."

"I'd take his word for it," Shaw joined in.

I was getting worried.

_Alex, what do I do?_

_"Stay strong, Essie. I'm right here."_

"Alright. From this point on, you're going to be a hindrance."

Shaw pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ben. I didn't draw my sword. There was a long silence before Ben spoke up.

"What? You going to shoot me, Shaw? Well you can't shoot me."

_Great! Now you're leaking out information!_

"He's bluffing."

_Yeah, um, Ben can't bluff. I, however, can lie since I've been lying to Ian for 2 years now._

"Tell me what I need to know, Ben. Or I'll shoot your friend."

Shaw moved the gun to Riley. Instinct kicked in and I dashed to Riley, pulling out my sword. Ian looked at me with disbelief.

"You're not getting away with it, Ian. I made sure of it before and I can do it again."

"Oh really?"

"Come on, Ian. Don't you recognize me? We've worked together for so long before I dropped you like a piece of garbage."

Ian stared at me for a while. He wasn't starting to put the pieces together. I pulled back the wig and tossed it to the side, letting my curly hair fall down. I gave him that cold stare the last time I saw him as Esther Livingston. Ben took this chance to set a flare. The gunpowder on the floor. They opened all of the barrels and left a trail of the black powder to the still full barrels. It was suicide but worth a shot.

"What you need to know-" he started. "-is if Shaw can catch."

He threw the flare to Shaw, but Ian caught it. One little detail: Ian had gunpowder on his hands. The flame flicked to his hands and he dropped the flare. He ran with Shaw and the others, leaving Ben and Riley with me. I forgot where the trapdoor was. Ben found it and told Riley and I to get over to him.

"What is it?"

"Smuggler's hole. Get in!" Ben looked at me.

"Go!" I told him.

I was the last one down and past the stronghold door. Once the explosion subsided, I looked around at the debris. It was a beautiful ship that was part of my history. I was pretty mad.

_Alex! Are you still there?_

_"Yes, Esther. I'm still here."_

Ben reached out his hand to me and pulled me up. He looked at me carefully, like I was fragile or going to flip out. I would've, but I held my composure. We agreed to go the nearest village and hurry to DC before Ian and get the document.

"John, is there something you haven't told us?" Ben asked.

"Well, I guess you can't call me John now," I sighed. "It's just that I have a really long story."

"Why don't you start off with telling us you're real name?"

I paused, wondering whether or not to trust them.

_"Just tell them, Essie."_

_Okay, Alex._

"It's Esther Livingston."


	3. Chapter 2

"So Esther. How is it that you know Ian?" Riley asked.

"I really don't like delving into it too much. It's a very difficult past and the back story is longer."

"Start with the backstory, then," Ben encouraged.

I sighed in defeat. I was sworn by oath not to tell them or anyone, but if I was to save the document, I had no choice other than to tell them.

"I'm part of the Knights Templar Society. It's been around even longer than the Freemasons. Both groups were left to protect the treasure. And to answer your question, Riley, the location of the treasure has been lost to us. Only the Free Masons know and they're very stubborn with telling us anything. In any case, the Society has been trained in a different way to protect the treasure."

"You've been keeping the history alive."

"In layman terms, yes. We've mainly been teaching about the history of the Templars and the treasure. At the same time, we also taught how to defend one's self. I joined the Society when I was 6 years old. I started off with learning how to fence and swordfight since those were the oldest traditions and the most reliable in many situations. I passed a unique test which allowed me the option of joining the Society or not. I joined, obviously. I had the center of my right hand cut, swore in blood, and kept the oath. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone of the Society and its great importance unless an emergency or one of our own has moved on to the next world."

"And right now is an emergency," Ben concluded.

"Yes. We've been taught many things, especially puzzles and riddles and codes. I had to learn Latin as my second language. Although a dead language, it's very effective in telling information without people knowing what we're saying. I was also taught our history, martial arts, and survival methods for every situation. I was even transported around the world to complete tasks set before me to prove my valor.

"One day, as I was prepping for a combat exam, a man walked into the room and watched me. Teacher, I mean, Master Crema discussed with him. The man came up to me and introduced himself. It was Ian. He said that he needed some help from me. I complied with him. I snuck into some places and… borrowed some papers. I didn't know what they were, but it didn't seem wrong as I did that sort of thing often. I was 8 years old. Ian had me steal for him for about another 4 years."

"What happened?"

"He told me to rob an address he gave me. It was a museum in South Carolina that Civil War Era gunpowder, which was surprisingly of interest on the black market for a couple months. I refused to steal from a museum, especially a military one. Ian was less than happy to hear me say that I quit. He visited my house in the middle of the night. Mom answered the door, scared at the sight of 3 guys with guns looking for me. I did the only thing I could: fight. I gave mom Teacher's phone number and told her to call for help and immediate relocation."

"He hadn't found you since?"

"Ben, she got in somehow."

"Actually, he sent someone to find me. And I should've shot him the first time I met him. I heard him talking on the phone with someone and I sent him to Teacher eventually. Mom wasn't happy about hearing me leaving because of reasons I couldn't explain to her. So, we went to the airport and I told her everything that happened to me. She was in disbelief at the thought of the stories being told at Knights Templar being true."

"That doesn't explain joining the group, Esther."

"I'm getting there, Riley. I told Teacher that I wanted to keep the treasure safe. He said that I would have to go undercover. I left my life behind to become John Hart. The name wasn't developed until I met Ian again. He didn't have a single clue of who I was. He still might not, but I don't know if he recognized me in the Charlotte. And I'd like to think he didn't recognize me yet."

"So you want to protect the treasure from Ian and everyone else."

"No. The plan was always to share the treasure with the world. The only issue was finding the right time. The world got so caught up in its affairs, revealing the treasure wasn't worth it. We were going to reveal it during the Great Depression in hopes of getting the nation out of debt. But then World War II comes around and the Cold War too. Now, now we have a shot. Because you can find it and give it to the world."

We arrived at the village. I came up to one of the locals and asked for lodging and food for a night. I also asked if there was a way to communicate with military or scientists. It was going to be a very long day if we couldn't reach civilization. The lady said that they had a radio and I gave them the frequency to use. The three of us were having dinner when an elderly woman came to me.

"You have great spiritual power."

Ben and Riley perked up at hearing her say it.

"You see those that cannot be seen by others. It is a rare and great power."

"What is she talking about, Esther?" Ben asked.

"I don't know," I lied.

"You are lying to important man."

"It's better if he doesn't know," I whispered to her.

She nodded, respecting my wishes. Th elderly woman walked away to her home. I turned back to Ben and Riley who looked as confused as ever on what was being said.

"Ignore her. She assumed I was someone else."

We had a group of pilots come by and said that they could take us home the next morning. I said goodnight to everyone and went to bed. I dreamt of the American Revolution yet again. I was rowing into the harbor to the dock in the evening. Alex was sitting on the stone, holding the box in his hands. He hadn't changed a bit. Maybe just little bit of scruff, but he really didn't look a year or two older. His head moved up to see me walking in his direction.

"Esther? Is that you?"

"Yes, Alex. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You-you-you've changed."

"What do you mean?"

"You're older! The last time I saw you was a week ago."

"A week? It's been 4 years since I was last here."

"4 years!?"

I realized that time was different based on if I came to the past or not.

"I guess some things have really changed."

I was really happy to see him. But my mood altered when I saw his uniform.

"You're going to fight in the army?"

"Yes. I leave in the morning. I won't be seeing you for a long time."

"I don't know what to say."

"Stay here with me. For tonight."

And so that's what I did. I rested my head on his shoulder as his arm slithered around mine. The moon was full and beautiful. I didn't want to leave that spot.

/

Ben came into Esther's room and sat at the bedside. He wondered what the old woman had meant, that Esther had spiritual power. Out of the blue, the old woman came into the room as well and looked at Ben.

"You care about young girl?"

"I do. I just never knew that she was actually a girl."

"Ah. She hide as boy to you?"

"She was given a task and she had to look like a boy to do it."

"Now you know the truth. What will you do?"

"I'm going to help her. I'm going to make sure the treasure isn't found by Ian. But I don't know where to start."

"Let her be your shining star. She has much to teach you and show you. Even what she can see and you cannot."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Alex…" Esther mumbled.

"She has ties to land that was owned by another people. A land which you come from."

Ben looked at the woman, incredulously. She seated herself on the other side of the bed.

"She travels to those days in her sleep. She sees people of those days as she walks. She holds great spiritual power that many would abuse for their gain. She knows the past and its many secrets which must be guarded."

There was a long pause, just looking at sleeping Esther. Ben was trying to figure out what the woman was telling him, but he didn't have a single clue.

"Alex, don't leave yet…"

_Who is Alex?_

"Her heart is aching for man she loves. She can never truly be with him. But she sees him often. And this tells Little Star to continue. She will not stop moving forward and guiding those lost. Little Star will stay constant with those who know not what to do."

"I just wish I knew what to do."

"Little Star will tell you when time is right. She will tell about her gift when everything is right."

The woman hobbled away, leaving Ben to wonder what the next thing would be.

/

Alex had me pinned to the ground as our lips connected. It felt strange to be kissing a 200 year-old man that was going to have a wife near the end of the Revolution. I let it go. Alex wasn't married yet and I wanted to enjoy every minute I could.

"Esther, are you sure we will win the war?"

"Alex, I'm here. Living proof that the colonists will succeed and the British won't."

"I always wonder if you are real or not. It feels real and it doesn't feel real at the same time."

"I know it's confusing. But I already explained to you why this was."

He pulled me up and help wipe away the grass on my skirt. Alex gave me another kiss and began to leave. I didn't want him to just yet.

"Alex, don't leave yet. Please."

"Esther. I know it is hard to accept this, but I will fight with all my heart."

"Just stay a little longer. Til dawn comes at least."

He reluctantly agreed. But somewhere inside of him, he wanted to stay with me. We held each other until the sky started to turn a very pale yellow. I rushed to the docks, Alex following behind me. I gave him one last kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Alex."

I hopped into the boat and rowed out of the harbor, praying for Alex's safety.


	4. Chapter 3

Ben, Riley, and I left the Arctic Circle in a hurry to DC. We planned on seeing the FBI. Well, Ben and Riley did. I had to meet up with Teacher and discuss the next course of action. He was thrilled to see me. Teacher was like a grandfather to me. However, he was not thrilled with my resolve after I gave him my report, including Ian's new course of action.

"Teacher, it's my job. And after everything Ian did to me, I have to go stop him before he not only endangers the lives of civilians, but also destroys a valuable piece of our history!"

"Esther, I know you want to stop Ian, but he could kill you in the process."

"Teacher, I'm way too valuable to be killed by Ian. He needs me for my talents as a member of KTS and as the highest ranking member of the Society."

Teacher was about to interrupt me on the statement I made, but I cut him off with a reply.

"I know, I know. The title doesn't come into full effect until I'm 18, but I still have access to sensitive information. I'm going out there to help Ben. And you're not going to stop me. Once I make up my mind, there's no stopping me from what I can do."

Teacher sighed, completely defeated by my decision. "Alright. But you're borrowing Betsy for gear. Got it?"

I smiled. Betsy and I fought together and never stopped looking out for each other. She had a great sense of fashion and function. She designed a way to conceal the swords in dresses and skirts. It was possible to hide them in pants but they would have to be sabers. She also made hair pins loaded with sedatives that lasted for an hour when pressed into the target, without the attacker getting injected themselves. Betsy was my Quartermaster of the Society. I planned on visiting her later in the day.

I met up with Ben and Riley outside the FBI building. They were unsuccessful.

"Anyone crazy enough to believe us isn't gonna want to help," Riley mentioned.

"We don't need someone crazy. But one step short of crazy, what do you get?" Ben remarked.

"Obsessed."

"Passionate."

I smiled at the thought. We headed to the National Archives. There we met Dr. Abigail Chase. Ben introduced himself as Paul Brown since the Gates family name isn't well liked in the historic community. I was Paul Brown's niece, Joan. She was quite an interesting character as of her fondness for history. I noticed her button collection. So did Ben and he commented on the 1789 inaugural button she was missing.

"I found one once."

"That's very fortunate of you."

And then we cut to the chase. But of course, she didn't believe us in the end.

"What led you to assume there's this invisible map?"

"We found an engraving on the stem of a 200-year-old pipe."

"Owned by the Freemasons," Riley added.

"May I see the pipe?"

"W-we don't have it," Riley stuttered.

Dr. Chase leaned in. "Did Bigfoot take it?"

_Okay! We're done here!_

We left, thanking Dr. Chase for her time. Ben walked quickly to the museum, his destination being the Declaration. Riley was thinking about putting their story public, but it wasn't going to scare Ian away. Ben just looks at the document.

"Of all the words written here about freedom, there's a line that's at the heart of all the others. 'But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and provide new Guards for their future security.' People don't talk that way anymore."

"Beautiful. Huh. No idea what you said."

"It means that if there's something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action." Ben paused. I followed his gaze to the document that gave me the right to be me. "I'm going to steal it."

Riley huffs a little. "What?"

"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence." And Ben just walks off.

_Now that's what I like to hear!_

Riley hurried after Ben. I stayed behind.

"_You should hurry over to them, Essie."_

_I know! But I also know they'll go to the Library of Congress eventually. I'm pulling out the books we'll need._

So I waited in the Library of Congress for Riley and Ben to join me. I had the books Riley needed set up as well as Ben's section.

"Okay, Ben, pay attention. I've brought you to the Library of Congress. Why? Because it's the biggest library in the world. Over 20 million books. And they're all saying the same exact thing: Listen to Riley."

He goes into the structure of the Archives and how things work and that it's practically impossible to get a hold of the Declaration. Then Ben quoted something.

"You know, Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly 2,000 times to develop the carbonized cotton-thread filament for the incandescent light bulb."

"Edison?"

"And when asked about it, he said 'I didn't fail; I found out 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb,' but he only needed one way to make it work." Ben showed Riley a page in a book. "The preservation room. Enjoy!"

Riley took a look at it. Ben leaned in.

"Do you know what the preservation room is for?"

"Delicious jams and jellies?"

_Very funny, Riley. Preservation doesn't necessarily mean fruit preserves. It can also mean to keep something for a long time in the best condition possible._

Ben explained the plan: get the Declaration into the Preservation Room during the Gala while there was less security. I already made mental arrangements.

"Well...uh...Ian...Preservation, hmmmm, the Gala. Oh this might be possible."

"It might."

Ben and Riley turned to me.

"If you're wondering if I'm okay with doing this, rules are meant to have exceptions."

"Good. How about we get ready?"

It was time to set the biggest robbery in history in motion: the stealing of the Declaration of Independence.


	5. Chapter 4

I walked into a small boutique in DC to meet up with Betsy. Betsy Rossanne and I had been training since we were in the first year. I can't tell you how many times she has dragged me to her studio so I could model for her on her latest of fashions. The moment I stepped in, Betsy looked up and beamed her biggest smile at me. I knew I was so very doomed. She squealed and dragged me to the back. Inside one of the closets was a long black dress. Mostly open back, sequined halter, and smooth satin, I was in love with it.

"I knew you'd like it. Wear these knee-length black leggings underneath. The top is detachable from the skirt so you can cover the top with a shirt and hide the skirt."

"Any accessories?"

"I thought you'd never ask! Black 2 in. heels, clutch back with rhinestone detail, black ruffle shrug for more cover if need be, and of course, your hair clip: silver swirl pattern with jet stones."

"I meant _personal_ accessories, Bets."

"I know. But I thought I'd tell you of those accessories so you'd know where your gear would be getting." She walked up to the dress and lifted the skirt. "Concealed sword, my patented tranquilizer gun with extra rounds, knife belts for the thighs and waist, and a small bag on the non-slit side calf."

"Perfect."

"The only thing I need you to do is to try it on so that I can make the adjustments. I'll bring it into the ladies room in the National Archives. You'll sneak in, get changed, and dispose of the evidence."

So I tried on the dress. There were minimal adjustments. I asked Betsy if she had the order I made for Ben. She gave me the suit bag and another bag loaded with the gear I would probably need for the night.

"I don't want a single tear in that dress, you hear?"

"You'll get it back in one piece. I'd like to reuse it in the future."

"Good. Have a wonderful evening. Contact me through the pager if you have any issues."

"Like I have any issues," I laughed.

I went to Ben's house to eat lunch. I showed him the bag which contained the suit he would wear to the gala. He hung it up and sat the table where books and papers were scattered. I noticed a folder of scanned letters but chose to ignore, knowing what they really were. We checked through the books from the Library for further understanding of the Archives' layout. I took notes on possible entries into the bathroom. It was time to go out and "sightsee" the archives. Ben took pictures as I observed the grounds, keeping an eye out for Ian. One could never be too careful.

I made some "decorations" for the van. I put my gear bag in the back. On the top of the van, I attached some bungee cords, hooks, and carabiners, assuming I would need to be on top for some reason. Ben and Riley didn't question it. I was wearing a pair of black leggings, slippers, and a turtleneck getting into the National Archives ladies room. In one of the locked stalls was my outfit. I quickly changed into it and left to find Ben. I took a glass of champagne and wandered around.

"I wouldn't recommend drinking that if I were you."

Ben was right behind me. He had two glasses: one for him and one for Dr. Chase.

"I know, but I should act like I'm old enough to be here."

"I understand that, but you still need to pass off as my niece. Remember, Joan?"

"I remember, Uncle Paul."

We walked in the direction of Dr. Chase and started to chat. Riley was listening in on the conversation.

"Is it that hot girl? How does she look?"

_Ignoring!_

I ignored Riley and I had to ignore Ben and Dr. Chase as they small talk about the button that was coated with a substance that could only be seen with a black light. And of course, Dr. Chase was unaware of that detail. Suddenly, a tall man, also in an expensive suit, came up to us.

"Mr. Brown, this is Dr. Herbert."

"Hi."

"Hi there," Ben replied.

"Who's the stiff?"

I smiled and looked down, holding back the laugh. Apparently, Dr. Herbert had a champagne glass for Dr. Chase. So Ben took hers and the "stiff" gave her the one he had.

"A toast? Yeah. To high treason. That's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and-Oh! Oh, my personal favorite-and had their entrails cut out and burned! So... Here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right... what they knew was right."

I took a sip of my glass. Note to self: have champagne a little more often. Ben downed all of his.

_I really can't say this is a desperate time, can I?_

"_In a way, Esther, it is."_

_I wasn't asking you, Alex!_

Ben hurried off to the men's room to get the fingerprints. I walked to the elevator door. I was later joined by Ben and we entered the elevator with the fingerprint copy. I removed the skirt in the elevator, waited for Riley to play the security loop, and cleared the halls for possible intrusions. Ben continued his way to the Preservation Room to get out the document. It was in that instance that something didn't feel right.

"_Esther, be very alert."_

_What do you think I'm doing, Alex? Standing around like chopped liver, waiting for Ben to finish getting the document out of the glass case?_

"I lost my feed," Riley announced over the com.

"What?"

_You have to be kidding me!_

"I lost my feed, Ben. I don't know where anyone is. I have nothing. Ben, I have nothing. Get out of there. Get out of there now!"

"_Essie, someone's here and on your way!"_

_Hear you loud and clear, Alex!_

"I'm taking the whole thing. I'll get it out of the elevator."

"What are you talking... Is it heavy?"

I walked to the elevator door and waited with Ben. My ears perked at the sound of creaking.

"Ben, someone's coming."

The door behind us bursted open. Ben and I turned around to see who it was. Ian, Shaw, Powell, and the rest of the group came through.

"Gates?" Ian looked at me. "Livingston? What are you doing with…"

_Yep. Cover's definitely blown._

I drew my sword just as Shaw moved in one us with a gun. I deflected 2 rounds (yeah, I'm that good!) while others went to the case. We got into the elevator quickly.

"Are you still there? Ben?"

"I'm here too, Riley. Thanks for asking."

"I'm in the elevator. Ian's here. There was, uh, shooting."

"I hate that guy."

"Well, I think I hate him more than the two of you combined," I answered haughtily.

Ben unscrewed the rest of the case and bagged the Declaration. I sheathed my sword and replaced the skirt, making sure I looked the way I appeared to everyone else. I wasn't happy about the fact Ian figured out who I was. It was going to be a desperate race to the finish for sure.


	6. Chapter 5

Ben and I walked out into the open and traveled through the gift shop. But then the clerk stopped us.

"Are you trying to steal that?"

"Oh! Umm...?"

We looked at the cylinder containing copies of the Declaration.

"It's $35."

"For this?"

"Yeah."

"That's a lot."

"Hey, I don't make the prices."

"Please get one for me, Uncle Paul?" I played along a little.

"Sure, Joan." Ben was smiling in all of this.

We walked up to the register. Ben pulled out his wallet to pay with cash.

"That's umm... 32... 57?"

"We take Visa."

_Okay. We are really screwed._

Ben pulled out his credit card and paid for two Declarations: the original and a copy. I glared at Ben for that little slip up.

"How was I supposed to know that we would need some cash for a fake copy?"

"Forget it. It's better that you paid for a fake anyways for all future possible purposes."

Ben helped get my coat, which I left behind earlier in the day, and I looped my arm around his. We left the Archives as quickly as possible, trying to not draw unwanted attention.

"Where are you?" Riley sang impatiently.

"Stop talking. Start the van."

I rushed to the van, hopped in the back, took off the skirt, put on a button-down blouse, and changed from heels to soled slippers. Glad I wore a pair of leggings, but jeans would've been better considering the weather. Ben was putting the original into a canister which I hid in my bag.

"Ben, the, uh, mean D- Declaration lady is behind you."

He held the fake in his hand and closed the door just as I got out. Dr. Chase stood in front of Ben. It was quite a discussion. I paid more attention to what was happening around me.

"_Ian knows that you're in this, Esther. Are you sure you want to continue?"_

_Alex, you should know by now that I'm too stubborn to give up on anything. Ian can try all the dirty tricks he wants to, but I will not give up._

"_Alright. I'll stay by your side through all of this."_

And that's when we heard the alarm. Dr. Chase took the copy and Ben started to get in the van. I glanced at the angry woman walking away and saw the lights of a silver and blue truck turn on.

_Bad! Bad! Bad!_

I ran to Dr. Chase and shielded her from the van. Then 2 guys came out. I tried fighting them, but it was no use. I just ran back to the van, hopped on top, and strapped down, ready for a fight. Riley drove through DC to get back Abigail. Funny, I decided to use her first name instead of her surname.

"Are you crazy!? You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Shut up, Riley! Just drive!"

It wasn't long before Abigail was hanging on the door as it opened. Shaw pulled out his gun and fired some shots. I deflected a couple back to his direction but missed. Just as Ben took hold of Abigail, Ian took one more look at me. He was quite surprised by seeing me again. I held a cold, hard stare back at him. Riley drove off as fast as he could away from Ian. I sat on top for a moment.

"_You should get back in the van."_

I unhooked myself and slipped into the van. Abigail was freaking out over losing the copy.

"You all right?"

"No, those - those lunatics..."

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"You're all lunatics!"

"You hungry?"

"What?"

_Nice way to get someone's attention._

"Are you alright?"

"Still a little on-edge from being shot at but I'll be fine, thanks for asking."

"Yeah, well I'm not alright! Those men have the Declaration of Independence!"

"She lost it!?"

_We're not that stupid, Riley!_

"They don't have it." Ben showed Abigail the Declaration. "See? Okay? Now could you please stop shouting?"

"Give me that!"

"You're still shouting, and it's really starting to annoy. You would do well, Dr. Chase, to be a little more civilized in this instance."

"If that's the real one, what did they get?"

"A souvenir. I thought it'd be a good idea to have a duplicate, turns out I was right. I actually had to pay for the souvenir and the real one, so you owe me $35, plus tax."

"Genius."

_Yeah, and I did a little acting on that part._

"Who were those men?"

"Just the guys we warned you were going to try to steal the Declaration."

"And you didn't believe us!"

"We did the only thing we could do to keep it safe."

_Well, I'm sure I could've had some influence, but probably better not to show it off._

"Verdammt! Give me that!"

"You know something? You're shouting again."

"Pretty sure she was swearing too."

_Oh yeah. She was._

"Well, we probably deserved that."

I laughed. I was very amused throughout the car ride to Ben's place. Oh wait. We can't do that: Ben used a credit card and there were security cameras in the gift shop. Shoot! I snapped my fingers. But no one noticed as Abigail was still freaking out over the Declaration.

"There is not a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence."

"And there's no chance anyone can steal this either." Ben shook the canister containing the document. "I leveled with you 100 percent. Everything I told you was the truth."

"I want that document, Mr. Brown."

"OK, my name's not Brown. It's Gates. I leveled with you 98 percent."

_Oh, so NOW you decide to tell the crazy freaking out lady who you really are!_

"Wait a minute, did you just say 'Gates'? Gates? You're that family with the conspiracy theory about the Founding Fathers!"

_I guess the Gates family is a very popular subject in the history community._

"It's not a conspiracy theory."

"Per se."

_Oh, have a little faith, Riley!_

"You know what? I take it back. You're not liars. You're insane."

_Yeah, um, I've been insane since I joined the Society. Welcome to the club!_

"And you're not his niece, are you?"

"No, but I'm just as crazy. Esther Livingston, descendent of Robert Livingston."

"Did they drag you into this?"

"Actually, I was dragged into it before I met these two."

"And could you explain the reason?"

"It's a little long to be told on the ride."

"We should start checking for the map," Ben interrupted.

"I might have some stuff in my bag," I answered.

"You can't seriously intend to run chemical tests on the Declaration of Independence in the back of a moving van," Abigail argued.

"I had no intention to. I simply meant prepping the document."

"We have a clean-room environment all set up. EDS suits, a particulate air filtration system, the whole shebang," Riley clarified in a boasting sort of manner.

"Really?"

"We can't go back there."

"What? Why not?"

_Oops. Forgot about that. Again._

So Ben and I explained the fact that when bought the original and copy, Ben had to use his card.

"A credit-card slip? Dude, we're on the grid. They'll have your records from forever. They'll have my records from forever."

_Not me! I bet they haven't figured out who I am yet. Unless Teacher decided to tell…_

"I know. I know. It's only a matter of minutes before the FBI shows up at my front door."

"What do we do?"

There was a little silence before Ben spoke up.

"We need those letters."

_So that's why you had that folder!_

"What letters?"

"You know, get off the road, take a right."

"What letters?"

Abigail just didn't know when to shut up. We stopped in a park that was west of the Capitol building. I hopped out, finally putting on more workable shoes and pants (over the leggings). I cleaned my sword while I waited. There were some scratches and marks from the bullets.

"Do I ask what you're doing with a sword?" Abigail asked me.

"Best not to know," I replied.

Ben was pacing back and forth on the grass, wondering what to do next.

"You have the original Silence Dogood letters? Did you steal those, too?"

"We have scans of the originals. Quiet, please."

"How'd you get scans?"

"I know the person who has the originals. Now shush.

"Why do you need them?"

"She really can't shut her mouth, can she?"

_Nope._

"I'll tell you what. I will let you hold onto this if you'll promise to shut up, please. Thank you."

I couldn't believe Ben would just hand the Declaration to the person that was going to return it the moment she had the chance.

"Ben, you know what you have to do."

"I know what to do. I'm just trying to think of anything else we could do."

"Well, not to be a... nudge, but you do realize how many people we have after us. We probably have our own satellite by now."

I looked down to see Abigail slipping off her shoes. I figured Ben would catch her so I let it fly.

"It took you all of two seconds to decide to steal the Declaration of Independence."

"Yeah, but I didn't think I was gonna personally have to tell my dad about it."

Abigail broke into a run. Ben followed after her.

"Hey, not cool! Not cool!"

I watched them converse and argue about Abigail tagging along. I continued cleaning my sword.

"_You didn't have to clean your sword so much, Essie."_

_I know, Alex. But I just have this funny feeling running down my back. And doing things like this calms me down. You've seen me do this a million times._

"_Well, you should stop worrying so much about what will happen."_

_I'm trying to! Except that I haven't been able to since this whole mess started!_

"_At least find a new method of relaxation."_

_Like meditating? Tried it, became too stressed out. Yoga was only good for flexibility. Shall I go on?_

Ben and Abigail walked back to the van. I had to guess they made up and Abigail was tagging along. I think Riley was really unhappy about this add-on. We rode in the van to Philadelphia.

"Looks OK."

"Park a couple of blocks away."

"Well, how long do you think we got?"

"I'm gonna give them a couple of hours at least. I hope."

"What do we do about her? I've got some duct tape in the back."

_Riley! You think you can keep her down with just duct tape? I could do the same thing without any props!_

"No, that won't be necessary. She won't be any trouble. Promise you won't be any trouble."

"I promise."

"See? She's curious."

"Well, while we're at it, why don't we go inside and visit your father? Hmm?" I nudged.


	7. Chapter 6

We got out of the van and carried the things we needed. I grabbed my bag for safe keeping. I sent a Morse code message to Betsy, telling her how things were going. We stopped at the front door. I was right next to Ben as his father appeared before us.

"Dad."

"Where's the party?"

"Well... I'm in a little trouble."

"Is she pregnant?"

I held back my laugh as best as I could because we just kidnapped one of the caretakers of the Archives for a treasure hunt. And she hadn't fallen for Ben. I found it to be a little amusing.

"Well, if she is, are you gonna leave the woman carrying your grandchild standing out in the cold?"

His father let us in. I overheard Abigail whisper to Riley.

"I look pregnant?"

He shook his head very quickly.

"This better not be about that dumb treasure," Ben's father whispered.

I continued to pay little attention to the gesture his father was giving. I just wanted to get the letters and leave ASAP before Ian caught up.

"Dad... I need the Silence Dogood letters. Yeah, it's about the treasure."

"And he dragged you two into this nonsense?" Patrick pointed at the rest of the adults.

"Literally."

I didn't say anything.

"I volunteered."

"Well, un-volunteer, before you waste your life. And what about you?

"Me?" I asked.

"Yeah! How did you get into this mess?"

"Well, um, it's a very long story that doesn't involve Ben, actually."

"It's a waste of time and your life, too."

"Knock it off, Dad."

"Sure, sure, I know, I'm the family kook. I have a job, a house, health insurance. At least I had your mother, for however brief a time. At least I had you. What do you have? Him?"

"Look, if you just give us the letters, we're gone."

It felt really awkward to be in the middle of this father-son feud. I stepped back a bit to where Riley and Abigail were.

"You disappoint me, Ben."

"Well, maybe that's the real Gates-family legacy. Sons who disappoint their fathers."

"Get out. Take your troubles with you."

"I found the _Charlotte_."

Patrick stopped right in his tracks and turned to face Ben.

"The _Charlotte_? You mean she was a ship?"

_A very wonderful ship. Too bad Ben had to blow it up!_

"Yeah, she was beautiful. It was amazing, Dad."

"And the treasure?"

"No, no. But we found another clue that led us here."

"Yeah, and that'll lead you to another clue. And that's all you'll ever find, is another clue. Don't you get it, Ben? I finally figured it out. The legend says that the treasure was buried to keep it from the British. But what really happened was the legend was invented, to keep the British occupied searching for buried treasure. The treasure is a myth."

"I refuse to believe that."

_I second that!_

"Well, you can believe what you want. You're a grown person. What am I doing? Do what you want, Ben. Do what you want."

Ben's father left the room. I was relieved at the end of the short argument, but I was also quite upset at the unstable condition of the father and son relationship.

"He's probably right. You don't even know if there is another clue."

"Well, I can think of a way where we could find out. And we can find out right now."

We cleared the dinner table and placed the things we needed on the table: Q-tips, lemon slices, gloves, tissues, and other chemical items found in your basic kitchen. I knew the better way to look for the map, but I let them do what they wanted. As Ben and Abigail laid the Declaration on the table, Ben's father peeked in.

"Looks like animal skin. How old is it?"

"At least 200 years."

"Really? You sure?"

"Pretty darn."

"Now if this thing's in invisible ink, how do we look at it?"

"Throw it in the oven."

"No!"

"Uh-uh."

_Yeah, no! We're not throwing the most important American document in history in the oven, even if that's the way to read the map._

"Ferrous sulphate inks can only be brought out with heat."

"Yes, but this..."

"It's very old."

"This is very old, and we can't risk compromising the map."

"You need a reagent."

"Dad, it's really late. Why don't you get some rest?"

"I'm fine."

I sighed. My pager went off.

"Excuse me."

I left the room, leaving the three adults to discover the code on the back of the Declaration. Betsy got back to me in time.

Betsy: informed Teacher. Need anything?

Me: will be heading to main Philly. May need money. Ben's account compromised by FBI.

Betsy: asking Teacher about account.

I waited and waited. Ben and Abigail just found the code written on the back of the document.

Betsy: one near Franklin Institute. FBI might go there. Heard about Dogood letter donation.

_Oh. Great. So much for finishing on the earlier side._

Me: account under?

Betsy: John Hart. Last digits are 1776. Password is 5111779

Me: history is very inspiring. Meet me in Philly if you have anything to pass me.

Betsy: break a leg, Bellator Eget Christi.

I went back into the room where the rest of the group was. They uncovered a Ottendorf cipher (or a book cipher) on the back and that's why we needed the Silence Dogood letters. BTW, Silence Dogood was a pen name of Ben Franklin so his works could be published in his brother's newspaper. And as well put by the riddle from the pipe, "_The key in Silence_" refers to Silence Dogood. Why else would "silence" be capitalized?

"So, Dad, where are the letters?"

"You know, it's just by sheer happenstance that his grandfather..."

"Dad."

"...even found them. They were in an antique desk from the press room..."

"Dad."

"...of _The New England Courant_. That's a newspaper."

"Dad, where are the letters?"

"I don't have them, son."

"What?"

"I don't have them."

Ben paused, walking to a chair and sitting down. He cleared his throat.

"Where are they?"

"I donated them to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia."

"Time to go," Ben concluded as he got up from the chair.

"I still can't believe it. All this time no one knew what was on the back."

"The back of what?"

_Oh dear God!_

"No!"

Too late. Patrick already turned over the document and looked at the top of it. The expression of horror was visibly seen on his face.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

"I know."

"Oh, my God. What have you done? This is... this is the..."

"I know!"

"This is the Declaration of Independence."

"Yes. And it's very delicate."

"You stole it?"

Riley pointed at Ben. I wasn't happy about him putting all the guilt on Ben.

"Dad, I can explain, but I don't have time. It was necessary. And you saw the cipher."

"And that will lead to another clue, and that will lead to another clue! There is no treasure. I wasted 20 years of my life. And now you've destroyed yours. And you pulled me into all this."

"Well, we can't have that."

_Ding!_

I pull out the roll of duct tape from my bag and look at Ben.

"Now it's necessary."

So I tied up Ben's father to a chair and left him a cup and the remote. I gave my signature adorable smile like I was innocent in all of this. I turned to see Ben packing up everything and I glanced at my watch.

"The FBI will be here any minute."

"We're keeping that in mind, Esther."

"I know, but I thought I'd also mention that I have a possible contact in Philly. She might be able to help us. But I don't know if she will be there."

"_Not to be a harbinger, but the FBI will be here in less than 30 minutes."_

_Thank you for telling me that, Alex._

"We should get going," I concluded.

Ben grabbed something and led us to the garage where his father's car was waiting. I put my bag in the trunk. We got in and drove off.

"Your dad's got a sweet ride," Riley commented

"I think we should change clothes. We look kind of conspicuous, don't you think?"

"I'd love to go shopping, too, but we have no money."

_I have some money in this private account that Teacher told me about._

"Here, I took this from his house. He usually tucks a few hundred dollars somewhere between those pages."

"Common Sense. How appropriate."

"When are we gonna get there? I'm hungry. This car smells weird."

I laughed. It felt good to laugh once in a while. Abigail turned her head to me.

"So, how did you know about the treasure before these two?"

I told her about the Society and how it was just a hair off from the Freemasons.

"That reminds me. Esther, you were mumbling a name when we were still in the Arctic. 'Alex', I think. Could you explain this, as well as this spiritual power the elder spoke off?"

That was not a subject worth discussing. It was a very old, well-kept secret. Only Teacher knew of it other than me. But Ben, Riley, and Abigail seemed like a trustworthy group.

"I have a particular gift."

"Well, I know that from the insistence of the elder, Esther."

"It's kind of split into 2 gifts. The one the elder was mostly pointing out was that I can see those who have moved on. I can see family members, soldiers, artists, and famous people. It depends on the reasoning. For example, if I wanted advice from one perspective, then I talk to the person that falls in the category."

"And the second half?"

"I, um, can travel through time in my dreams. I do not affect the real historic time stream, but I do affect history in my dreams. I've been traveling to the American Revolution recently."

"And Alex?"

"He's someone from the Revolution I met along the way. He's a really good friend and I see him all the time outside my sleep. Mostly as a guide when I'm in trouble or in a hurry."

"Okay. I was just curious"

"There seems to be a lot of that going around," I mumbled.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Ben insisted.

I let my head fall on the window as I looked out. The city looked really pretty with the lights on. I drifted into the past once again, but I didn't meet Alex. He was already on the war front and I couldn't do a thing about it. I simply let it go and watched the stars before the sun rose.


	8. Chapter 7

"And you have no idea where he's going?"

"Well, wouldn't I have told you if I did?"

"Would you?"

"He tied me to a chair." Patrick laughed, and then paused a little. "Well, actually it was that girl he had with him."

"Did you catch her name by any chance?"

"I think I heard 'Esther' somewhere in the mix of chatter."

Sadusky put his hand up as an agent leaned in to report.

"The garage is empty, but there is a Cadillac Deville registered to a Patrick Gates."

"And he stole my car."

"Don't worry, Mr. Gates. We'll find the car. And your son."

Sadusky and the FBI agents left the scene.

"I want everything we can get about Gates' next destination. I also want a new search on the girl starting with name Esther."

They headed back to their offices to discuss what to do next. Sadusky waited in his office, going over the papers he had. A knock came at the door and he let the guy come in.

"Chief, I think we have a lead on that girl."

"Well then, let's see it."

A file was put into his hands and he opened it.

"We found an Esther Livingston that matches the pictures in the cameras. She is a 16 year old girl originally from Coxsackie, New York. She went missing 2 years ago according to her mother and records for reasons unknown. She attended a fencing school known as Knights Templar Academy. We also pulled up pictures dating at least 5 years ago. Take a look."

Face after face, Sadusky noticed that Esther was the person stealing the documents across the country from many companies, most of them on the smaller side. He was surprised to see that it was a girl no more than 10 doing the crimes.

"I'd like to know the reasons behind her actions, past and present."

"There is a person here who says that he can help, but will only speak with you in private as a friend."

"Send him in."

An elderly man came into the room, dressed in a casual suit. His light gray hair was short and neatly trimmed. Sadusky shook the man's hand.

"Agent Peter Sadusky."

"Joseph Crema. I'm the head of the New York Knights Templar division, as well as the United States division. I hear you have a very large dilemma in the history community."

"Yes. I was wondering if you had ever since this person before."

Sadusky hands Joseph the most current picture of Esther, particularly of her with Ben Gates in the National Archives Gift Shop. Joseph shook his head. Sadusky showed him another picture of Esther but much younger. Joseph nodded his head.

"Esther was always a promising young student. She is my prodigy, the best of the ones I have ever had." He handed the picture back to Sadusky. "Would join me for a cup of coffee at this little café I know?"

The two men left and sat at the café, Hearth of the Home.

"I don't have much time, so you will have to be quick about all of this."

"Oh come now, Peter. We've known each other for years. You know how much information I hold and can pass out."

"But as you can tell, Joseph, I'm in a little hurry."

"I will start. Esther Livingston is not only my prodigy, but also the highest ranking of the Society."

"You mean-"

"She holds the title of Bellator Eget Christi. She is that good, Peter."

"But you know she stole from a ton of companies while she was under your wing. Would you like to elaborate on that?"

"Esther was… hired by a man named Ian to steal documents. One day, as she told me, Ian gave her an address and told her to steal a particular item in a certain room. What Esther didn't know was that she was supposed to steal gunpowder from a museum in the South. She quit and planned to never see him again. Ian found Esther's address, invaded her home, and she was finally relocated along with her family. Unfortunately, Ian found her again about 2 years ago. So we filled in her mother and sent Esther undercover in Ian's group as a runaway teenage boy."

"And that's how she met Ben Gates."

"Yes. The Gates family has always held interest to us since they got the clue. However, with Esther in the circle, she wasn't only keeping herself safe but also able to keep track of Ian's location."

"And now we have a crisis thanks to her."

"No. You and I agreed to go after the treasure and release it to the world when the time was right. Now, Esther must do it with Ben because they are that far ahead."

"It's a lot to take in, Joseph. As much I would like for them to find the treasure, I have to put the law first. No bonds, no ties."

"I suppose there is something else I must tell you while we have a little time."

"And what would that be?"

Joseph leaned in. "Peter, you must hold up to your oath with the highest possible regard as you can with what I'm about to tell you."

"I will, as soon as you tell me."

"Okay." He sighed. "Esther has already seen the treasure in person."

"I thought you said that Ben and Esther had to find it. How could she have seen it already?"

"Esther has a very rare gift, which is another reason why I gave her the title. Esther is a past seer. She visits the past in her dreams and has an effect on history while there, but no effect on the real time line. She is also a medium, able to see those that have moved on."

"Joseph, that's impossible. There hasn't been one in decades! It's the rarest and most powerful gift in the world! Only relatives have this gift as it is a passed down trait."

"But Esther doesn't have a past seer relative. Don't you see? This could completely secure all of our futures if she takes up my role when she is ready. We can't let her fall into the wrong hands. Ian is out there and I bet he knows about her gift as well. He will use it to get whatever he wants and when he has no use for her, Ian will kill Esther. We need to get her back as soon as possible. And you can't tell anyone else about this. You understand?"

Sadusky paused. He realized that Esther committed many crimes. But he also realized that she could continue the work of the Knights Templar and Freemasons in keeping the world's secrets until the right time. He was sworn by oath to keep all matters underground, especially those given by the Society.

"I understand, Joseph. But don't expect the law to take things easier on her just because she is the highest ranking in the Society."

"I know. This is why I wanted to ask a friend to help a little."

"I will do my best."

The men left the café, knowing exactly what must be done to preserve the future.


	9. Chapter 8

I pulled out at least $200 from the account for food and clothes. I was feeling weighed down with the gear I had so I reassessed what I needed. I only needed some duct tape, a mini cleaning kit, some extras, and communication equipment. I met up with a fellow member by showing my pin: a gold, equally sized cross with "Sum Regente Deo" pressed in and a red stone in the center. You always carried the pin under some flap whether it was a hood or a collar. When you uncovered the pin by pulling up the flap, it meant "Meet up. Must discuss matters."

"Name?"

"Bellator Eget Christi."

"It is an honor to meet you, high one."

"And you are?"

"Vulpeculae, my lady."

"I am humbled to meet a fellow member, Cunning Fox, as I have not seen one in ages." I handed her the large bag. "I need a smaller bag, one best for quick escapes."

"You can take mine. I will unload it and you can fill it."

We exchanged small words in Latin while changing bags. Afterwards, I gave her the salute: right hand over the heart, left hand on the opposite person's right shoulder, and the head bowing. Finally, we shook a firm hand and I left to find Riley.

"Esther! I've got it!"

"Good. Let's get out of here and tell Ben."

We went to the shop where Abigail and Ben were buying new clothes. I looked over my clothes and quickly grabbed a new pair of jeans, button-down shirt, and a sweater. I paid for it with the money I had and listened to the discussion. I knew I missed half of it at least. But it didn't matter because I already knew what Riley had found thanks to the cipher and Silence Dogood letters:

/

**The vision to see the treasured past comes as the timely shadow**

**crosses in front of the house of Pass and Stow.**

/

It's not that hard to figure out if you understand part of American Revolution history. John Pass and John Stow cast a bell and there is only one bell everyone knows that was made then and the only place that was considered the house of the bell.

"On the back of a hundred-dollar bill is an etching of Independence Hall based on a painting done in..."

"Hello."

"Thank you. ...in the 1780s, who... The artist was actually a friend of Benjamin Franklin's. It's wonderful."

"Fascinating."

The clerk was so rude. I wanted to smack some sense into her.

"Hold this," Ben said as he handed the Declaration to Abigail.

"OK." Ben looked at her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Now, I think that if we look at this clock tower...we may find the specific time."

Ben held up the water bottle to the back of the 100 dollar bill to get a closer look at the clock.

"What do you see?"

"2:22."

"What time is it now?"

The clerk checked the watch. "Almost 3."

_Shoot. So much for finding the next clue._

"We missed it."

"No, we didn't. We didn't miss it because-" Riley turned to look at us. "You don't know this? I know something about history that you don't know."

"I'd be very excited to learn about it, Riley," commented Ben, in a patronizing way.

"Hold on one second, let me just take in this moment. This is cool. Is this how you feel all the time? Well, except now."

"Riley!" Abigail rushed.

"All right! What I know is that daylight savings wasn't established until World War I."

_That's right! Why did I forget that!?_

"If it's 3 p.m. now that means that in 1776 it would be 2 p.m."

"Riley, you're a genius."

Ben and Abigail walked ahead. I trailed behind Riley as he started his gloating.

"Do you actually know who the first person to suggest daylight savings was?"

"Benjamin Franklin," Ben and Abigail spoke at the same time.

Riley stomped his foot in frustration at the loss of his intelligence in history to Ben and Abigail.

_Hmm. Ben and Abigail sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. That would work out pretty well._

We hurried to Independence Hall. I knew that I was a violation if I went through security, so I went around through a back way so that I wouldn't get caught possessing weapons. I climbed the stairs and walked normally on the floor as we quickened our pace to reach the bell tower.

"What bell is this?" Riley asked, confused.

"It's the Centennial Bell. It replaced the Liberty Bell in 1876."

We peaked over the railing to see the shadow on a brick wall. Only one of those bricks had the key.

"There it is."

"All right. I'm gonna go down there, and you meet me in the signing room. OK? All right."

"All right, let's go."

Riley looked over the railing at the shadow on the wall.

"3:22. My idea."

"Yes, Riley. Now hurry up."

I followed Ben to keep an eye on him. He took out his knife and removed the brick once he found the symbol. He turned the brick over and a pair of code glasses fell into his hands. He put the brick back and we went to the signing room. I kept a lookout, not caring about what Ben found because I knew what he would find on the back:

/

**Heere at the Wall.**

/

"Wow."

"Why can't they just say, 'Go to this place, and here's the treasure, spend it wisely'?"

_Knights Templar and Freemasons don't work that way. We need to be sure we're handing the treasure to those worthy of it._

"Oh no."

I looked out the window. It was two of Ian's guys. Riley joined me shortly.

"How'd they find us?"

"Well, Ian has nearly unlimited resources. And he's smart."

_Unfortunately, Ben's right._

"I don't think we can get out of here without being spotted."

"Well, we don't want them to have the Declaration, or the glasses. But we especially don't want them to have them both together."

Riley and I regrouped with Ben and Abigail for the plan.

"So what do we do?"

"We separate the lock from the key. We're splitting up."

"Good idea."

"Really?"

_Yeah. It's a good idea._

"I'll take this. And those. You keep that. Meet me at the car and call me if you have any problems."

"Like if we get caught and killed?"

_That's a big problem._

"Yeah - that would be a big problem. Take care of her."

"I will."

Rily and Abigail looked at each other after saying the same thing. I laughed a little. It was an odd bunch, but one I loved being around.


	10. Chapter 9

I tagged along with Ben, tightening the straps on the backpack just a little. I made my pace as fast as his. Once a bus was behind us as we crossed the street, I nodded and we broke into a run. I never ran so fast before in my life. We sprinted through the street and finally into a cemetery where the two guys decided to start shooting us.

_You want to play that way? Fine by me._

I pulled out my sword and deflected a couple of the shots. Ben was ahead of me as Powell got closer. Ben hit him with the container and then his fist.

"Ow!"

"Next time, leave the real hitting to me."

Phil was in sight.

"Aw, come on!"

"Hurry!"

We tried going through gardens but no luck. We just ran through the neighborhood and finally found a fire escape ladder. As Ben climbed it, Phil caught up and started shooting. I pushed the barrel up and fisted him in the gut before flipping onto the ladder and climbing quickly. We ran on the house roofs until we reached a dead end.

"Hey, Gates!"

We turned around to find Phil exhausted.

"Enough, man! Give me the document."

"All right, Phil."

Ben slowly removed the container from his shoulder and then tossed it to Phil. We hurried down another escape ladder. But to my surprise, once I thought we were out of harm's way, another pair of guys followed us. We scurried away but they wouldn't leave. I turned around and decided to fight back. Kicks and fists were thrown around until something sharp was pushed into my neck. I looked at Ben one last time.

"Run! Don't look back!"

"Esther-"

"GO!"

The last thing I saw was Ben running away from me as the world turned black.

/

I woke up, really groggy and dizzy. I was in some container because of the warmth and darkness in the space. When my eyes finally adjusted, I was disgusted at the sight in front of me.

"Hello, Esther. I'm glad you're here."

"I would say the same thing, Ian. If I wasn't kidnapped against my will."

"You didn't leave me much of choice. I only want to talk."

"Talk away all you want to. I won't tell you a thing."

The phone rang. Ian looked greatly confused at the caller ID. He answered it anyways.

"Hello?" He looked at me. "Why don't I have my little associate answer for me?"

He gave the phone to me and I tried holding it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Esther!? Is that you!?"

"Abigail? What- why are you calling Ian?"

"Ben has been taken into custody. We were wondering if Ian could help us get Ben back."

"I hate to say this, but that sounds as bad as the moment Ben said he would steal the Declaration of Independence. It's practically a suicide mission."

"Not if Ian has the upper hand in the matter with the pipe and Declaration."

Now I was really starting to regret getting involved in all of this.

"What do you propose?"

"Put me back on with Ian."

I gave the phone back to him and tried focusing on what was happening.

_Alex! Alex, are you there!?_

No answer. I really freaked out for a moment. Ian smiled at me. I had that chill go down my spine. In mere seconds, an oxygen mask was put over my mouth and a weird gas was pumped through.

"It's a mixture of oxygen and chloroform. This should keep you under for some time so that you don't fight back so much."

I stared at him, quite confused.

"I know that you're immune to almost every sedative created, but that was a while ago. And sedatives have grown more advanced. It was easy to find one you hadn't tried yet. I do know one thing about this mixture your breathing: if you take in too much, you won't be able to concentrate very well. Which is ideal for my purposes of keeping you here. Understand?"

Ian wasn't kidding. My head hurt a ton. Yes, I took in doses of sedatives and truth serums so that I could be a very good liar and get out quickly if need be. However, taking in a lot of an airborne sedative is exhausting and causes severe headaches over time. But I could still think just a little.

I figured out that I was in the back of a van as soon as the vibrations stopped. The doors opened and I was pulled outside. The sun blinded my eyes. Ian picked up a pay phone and made a call.

"Hello Ben. How are you?"

_Chained to a desk, I bet._

"Sorry to hear that."

As if, I mouthed at Ian. He stared at me sternly.

"I want you to meet me on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid. You know where that is?"

_It's in New York City harbor. Wait. That's nearby where Alex and I met up._

"Meet me there at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. And bring those glasses you found at Independence Hall. Yeah, I know about the glasses. We can take a look at the Declaration, and then you can be on your way."

_I'll bet Ben doubts what Ian is saying right now._

"I told you from the start, I only wanted to borrow it. You can have it. And the glasses. I'll even throw in the pipe from the _Charlotte_."

Ian looked at me from the corner of his eye while listening to Ben.

"Esther? Well, she and I have some unfinished business to take care of before I release her. I get to decide how she leaves. In fact, I'll be kind enough to let her talk to you for a minute."

Ian gave me the phone.

"Hello?"

"Esther, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. For now. Ben, please just take care of yourself."

"What about you? I'm not leaving you to deal with Ian."

"Ben, I don't have a choice. I need to settle things on my own." I bit my lip. "Ben, if you can, tell Teacher that I'm sorry. He'll know what I mean."

"What if I can't reach him?"

"Trust me. Someone there will lead you to him." I glanced up to Ian. "Whatever you do from here, don't listen to Ian. He's planning something that will be out of your hands and- Uh!"

Ian slapped me and I fell to the ground, groaning from the impact. I was surprised by how effective the chloroform was.

"Now, will you be there?"

Ben said yes. I knew he said yes.

"And tell the FBI agents listening in on this call if they want the Declaration back, and not just a box of confetti, as well as Esther no matter how she arrives, then you'll come alone."

Ian hung up and dragged me into the van once again. He sat proudly for a little before looking down at me.

"Is there something you wanted to do in New York? I'll let you do one thing for an hour before we meet up with Gates. Consider this… for old times sake, eh?"

I paused for a moment. I trusted Ian once and he betrayed that trust. But he seemed to want us to get back on good terms unlike the last time we met. I decided to take a chance.

"There's a spot I want to visit on the harbor. FBI shouldn't be there, if you're curious."

Ian looked at me with the same spark of interest he had all those years ago.

"Tell us how to get there."


End file.
